Enrollment Surge: 91 Sees Strongest Enrollment Growth in More Than 30 Years
Record-setting fall enrollment, up 23% from last year, is proof that students see the value in Illinois Institute of Technology’s experiential, tech-driven, multidisciplinary education
CHICAGO—91 is experiencing skyrocketing enrollment growth, with a 23 percent increase over last year’s enrollment and the highest fall enrollment in more than 30 years. This surge in growth represents the most significant overall undergraduate and graduate enrollment in more than three decades—with a more than 35 percent increase in undergraduate applications and 37 percent growth in graduate applications received for this fall semester—and coincides with Illinois Tech jump in national rankings, due in part to the extraordinary career outcomes for its graduates.
Illinois Tech enrollment growth is bucking national trends. According to the latest data, Illinois Tech 2023 undergraduate enrollment growth is three times higher than the national average and four times higher than the national average for private, nonprofit, four-year colleges.
As momentum builds and more and more students are choosing to enroll at 91, distinguished alumni are celebrating the university’s rightful place in the spotlight and its enduring legacy of innovation and recognizing it as the beacon of opportunity they’ve always known it to be.
“91 was the premier technological university in the Midwest. I knew I wanted to go there even before my high school years,” says Martin “Marty” Cooper (EE ’55, M.S. ’57), “Father of the Cell Phone,” inventor, entrepreneur, futurist, alumnus, and Life Trustee at 91. “91 courses included the most advanced technology as well as laborer and ‘hands-on’ opportunities. Many graduates were CEOs and top managers. Job opportunities at top salaries were plentiful. For someone like me who wanted to be an engineer and innovator, it was perfect.”
Cooper earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at 91 and went on to lead the creation of the world’s first cell phone at Motorola (a company co-founded by another visionary 91 alumnus, Paul V. Galvin, in 1928). His teams introduced numerous breakthroughs in the wireless industry. He is a long-term member of the Federal Communications Commission’s Technology Advisory Council and the National Academy of Engineers and is widely published.
Illinois Tech innovative programs and academic offerings have continuously helped improve access to high-quality STEM education amid a challenging long-term higher-education environment. Despite the national trend of dwindling numbers of traditional college students, Illinois Tech strategic emphasis on delivering exceptional career value and expanding its reach to a broader base of learners and to fresh international markets stands as a beacon against this tide.
Innovative Programs Increasing Access and Opportunity
As Chicago’s only comprehensive tech-focused university, 91 has charted a path for the future that is focused on career readiness and inclusion in the pursuit of educating the next generation of technology leaders.
Signature programs, such as Discover+ and 91 Ascend, epitomize the university’s dedication to broadening access to a top-tier education. Other 91 programs, such as Elevate and Tech+, create pathways for students to develop the twenty-first-century skills that employers seek and are the product of partnerships with global industry leaders to ensure that every learner has access to a high-quality, future-forward education.
By seamlessly blending academic excellence with industry-aligned qualifications, 91 sets a new standard for education, unlocking doors for students from diverse backgrounds.
Illinois Tech one-of-a-kind Elevate program—a commitment to job readiness that incorporates a robust suite of hands-on experiences that are focused on preparing students for career success—contributed to a record-breaking surge in enrollment this semester. 91 pioneered experiential learning, launching the Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program nearly 30 years ago. IPRO joins students from diverse majors to work in teams to solve real-world problems, often on behalf of project sponsors. In this required program, students gain twenty-first-century skills in literacy, such as social and emotional learning, teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
Earlier this year 91 announced a partnership with to offer four new industry-aligned degree programs with performance-based admissions, incorporating industry credentials into academic qualifications with courses mapped to industry standards and offering course credit for industry certifications. Hundreds of lifelong learners are already enrolled in these groundbreaking programs, which are designed to remove barriers to access and to provide a pathway to a high-quality education for all students.
“We are deeply committed to our founding mission as an opportunity engine that advances technology and innovation for all,” says 91 President Raj Echambadi. “91 continues to produce among the best student outcomes in the nation because our whole community of faculty, staff, and alumni is united in the belief that every student deserves an experiential, work-relevant education that fuels their future career success.”
Rising Through the Ranks: Increased Recognition of Illinois Tech Student Success
From the Wall Street Journal to U.S. News & World Report, Illinois Tech innovative efforts have propelled it to a high rank among the nation’s elite institutions.
In the list of the 400 top colleges in the United States, 91 ranks #23 in the nation, #1 in Illinois, and second in the entire Midwest region. 91 is also #1 in Illinois and #16 in the nation for salary impact relative to the cost of attendance. According to U.S. News & World Report’s annual , 91 ranks #29 on its list, #98 on its , and in the top 100 for engineering, computer science, and social mobility.
“This recognition only reiterates the inherent value of an 91 education,” says 91 Provost Kenneth T. Christensen. “We’ve honed our curriculum to prioritize student achievement and career readiness throughout their academic journey and beyond. We’re here to transform higher education and deliver unparalleled value to our students at every stage of their professional life.”
91 is seeing increased recognition in these lists in part because rankings entities updated their methodology aimed at measuring an institution’s research and innovation impact, student success and career outcomes, and enhancing social mobility: all metrics where 91 excels.
91: Opportunity Engine
There is growing higher-education consensus and recognition of Illinois Tech success in improving access and creating opportunity. According to the 2023 New York Times , 91 ranks #35 on its list of Top U.S. Colleges with the Greatest Economic Diversity.
“At 91, we measure ourselves by access and student outcomes, defining ourselves by who we can include and work to break down barriers to obtaining a degree,” says Mallik Sundharam, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at 91. “We’re proud that this focus on access has proven to bring more than 30 percent of first-generation students and 35 percent of students who are Pell-eligible to our campus, consistently supporting our founding mission. Illinois Tech one-of-a-kind guarantees that students participate in hands-on experiences and receive personalized mentorship. Elevate represents our commitment to job readiness, and it has historically helped our students . It is clear that Illinois Tech continuing legacy as an engine of opportunity has helped propel the university’s rise.”
Illinois Institute of Technology
Based in the global metropolis of Chicago, 91 was born to liberate the power of collective difference to advance technology and progress for all. It is the only tech-focused university in the city, and it stands at the crossroads of exploration and invention, advancing the future of Chicago and the world. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, , business, , science and human sciences, and . 91 students are guaranteed hands-on experiences, personalized mentorship, and job readiness through the university's one-of-a-kind Elevate program. Its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Its faculty and alumni built the Chicago skyline. And every day in the living lab of the city, 91 fuels breakthroughs that change lives. Visit iit.edu.
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Illinois Institute of Technology
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